$1,499.00. Reverse machine flyes ---> Dumbbell/bench lying rows. The bench press is the most well-known and used chest-building exercise. Generally only use machines for back exercises and leg exercises. If you’re wondering how to do a decline bench press without a bench this is an excellent alternative. Inhale and lift the bar off the rack. fibers of the lower pec are “significantly more activated”, 16 Tricep Exercises To Increase Bench Press Strength, Bench Press With Legs Up: How-To, Muscles Worked, Benefits. Sit on the bench and grab a dumbbell in either hand, resting them on your thighs. With your arms at your sides, bring your hands together in front of your lower abs. Secondary Muscles. “This is, in essence, the same dumbbell chest press motion as you would do on the bench, but now you’re adding the balance and stability components for both lower body and core benefit,” Reames says. Steelflex PSDP Seated Decline Press. With the decline machine press, you’re sitting in a slightly reclined chair, and to start the movement you simply need to press the handles in front of you. Unlike decline bench press, chest dips can target the entire pectoral muscle. Load weight on the machine and adjust the height of the seat. Our selection of chest and shoulder press and fly machines can be found in both leverage and cable weight variations. $2,899.99. Touch and Go Bench Press: Should You Pause On Your Chest? Resistance increase throughout the exercise to match leg muscles strength. The 9 Best decline bench press alternatives are: In this article, I’ll split each of these exercises into the different equipment you’ll have available at the gym, from dumbbells, cables/machines, and bodyweight exercises. If you don’t have a bench, I would substitute the decline dumbbell press with either a high-to-low cable chest fly or a vertical dip with a slight forward torso lean. The vertical dip will target your lower pecs to a greater extent compared with the horizontal dip, which is more for isolating the triceps. Out of Stock. Matrix VS-S70 Leg Press. Body Solid LVIP Leverage Incline Bench Press ... Legend Fitness Unilateral Converging Wide Chest Press 6006. Leverage Decline Chest Press My PT Hub. The Decline Bench Press is the most mysterious of the three exercises. “Basically one side is performing the press while the other stabilizes and holds the start position,” Reames says. In-Stock. 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The decline dumbbell bench press is the closest variation that you can do to the barbell decline bench press. PowerliftingTechnique.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. This is because you’re putting more stress on your upper pecs and anterior deltoids. Target Muscles Chest. Release the safety hooks and lift the bar off the supports and hold it over (above) your lower chest with your arms straight (extended). How to do it: Begin sitting tall on a stability ball with dumbbells in each hand. How to do it: Begin seated at the front end of a flat bench with a dumbbell in each hand resting just above your knees. While they both exercise the chest muscles, the way the weight is used differs completely. This will recruit your lower pecs to a greater extent. Muscles worked: Pectoralis major, anterior and lateral deltoids, and triceps. A: The decline press is the best for chest because it hits the lower- and upper-pec segments, according to an EMG study published in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research (11:163-167. Muscles worked: Pectoralis major, anterior and lateral deltoids, triceps, abdominals, and legs. This next section will cover decline bench press alternatives that involve either machine or cable variations. 4- Decline bench press. If you can add extra weight, your benefits increase basically tenfold. The added benefit of doing the decline dumbbell together press is that you also work the inner chest significantly, in addition to the lower chest muscles. If your goal is powerlifting, and you want to increase strength on your bench press, the decline bench press has very little carryover. Muscles worked: Lower chest, triceps, and anterior deltoids. If you want more details on this exercise, I wrote a more in-depth guide covering it called the Plate Pinch Press. Draw your elbows back just past your shoulder and return to the start. You need to avoid bending your arms too much as you bring your arms down toward the floor. The difference was merely in the level of lower pec activation. 70%. Exhale and use your chest to push the dumbbells up. Close-Grip bench press #7. What you want to avoid is having your arms come all the way down to your waist. $4,000.00. Slowly return your arms back toward your chest. How to do it: Begin lying flat on a bench with a dumbbell in each hand, even with your shoulders. Learn 13 principles that create more effective powerlifting technique. The idea is not to load the exercise substantially, but perform a high number of reps that gets you closer to your fatigue limit. The exercises below are the best decline bench press alternatives to target the lower chest. This is because the free-weight nature of dumbbells allows you to lift a significant amount of weight, which provides the optimal training environment for building both strength and … This site is owned and operated by PowerliftingTechnique.com. Bench press #4. Target Muscles. You might actually experience better gains because i found with hammer strength my front delts get a big pump and triceps to as opposed to dumbbell. For access to exclusive gear videos, celebrity interviews, and more, subscribe on YouTube! You don’t need as much load for this exercise because rather than applying force to the dumbbell to lift the weight upward, you are (at the same time) trying to isometrically squeeze the dumbbells together as hard as possible as you go through the range of motion. How to do it: Lie down with your back flat on an Olympic-style bench so your eyes are directly under the bar. While I can do vertical dips with loads in excess of 100lbs, I still like to do the bodyweight variation from time-to-time, but slow the tempo to a 3-second down, and 3-second up count. Muscles worked: Pectoralis major, anterior and lateral deltoids, and triceps. In this wider grip, you can activate your lower pecs more. Face away from the tubing, grasp the handles, and stand with your knees slightly bent. “I advise people to keep their feet up on the bench for stability and to minimize hyper-extension of the low back,” Reames says. #3. You may have a “seated chest press machine”, which is great at targeting your total chest. I don’t like to go too heavy on this exercise because I find it pretty hard on the shoulders if done incorrectly. The vertical dip will be more similiar to a decline bench press if you lean forward with your torso rather than keeping your back vertical. Pick either a wide-grip bench press, the Nilsson press or a dumbbell press (keeping the elbows out, almost in line with the shoulders) as the pressing movement. Decline dumbbell bench press is identical to the incline press with dumbbells, except that you lie on a decline bench, where your legs are higher than your head.By having the bench at this angle, you shift the focus to your lower pectorals (the sternal portion of your chest). Make note to keep your core, glutes, and legs tight throughout the exercise. This positioning makes it so you can lift a bit more than a traditional bench press. When you’re grasping the handles (palms facing down or out, depending on the machine), your hands should be in line with your chest and your feet flat on the floor. The decline dumbbell together press is a small variation to the decline dumbbell bench press mentioned above. eval(ez_write_tag([[300,250],'mensjournal_com-under_second_paragraph','ezslot_2',167,'0','0']));Reames recommends having at least one session with a qualified professional trainer to learn the basics of the exercise and proper form first. However, don’t underestimate how challenging these exercises can be just because you’re not using barbells, dumbbells, or machines. There is no math equation that could help convert a leverage bench press to free weights bench press. What I don’t like about using a decline bench for either barbell or dumbbell variations is just how awkward it is to get in and out of the start position. So just go light, focus on higher reps, and think about contracting your lower pecs as you perform this movement. You can usually lift more weight in the decline bench press vs the flat bench press. Step 1 Sitting on an incline bench positioned at a 45-degree angle, hold a pair of dumbbells directly above your chest with your arms fully extended and your palms facing outward. The way to accomplish this is to manipulate the angle of your body, the direction and range of motion of the load, and your hand/grip placement. How to do it: Set yourself up on a decline bench or lower a flat bench to a 45-degree angle. Don’t let your feet move off the floor or the arch in your back collapse. How to do it: Begin in a solid stance with knees bent in front of the cable station, facing away from the weight stack. I bolded the important part as to why your bench dropped in weight. The concept of “muscular damage” is one of the main drivers of hypertrophy (muscle growth). The straight bar serratus pulldown is a similar variation to the dumbbell serratus pull-over. However, to activate your lower pecs even more, which will make it more similar to a decline bench press, rotate your hands so that your fingers are pointed toward your toes. The handles should be near the top of the pectorals at the beginning of the motion. In-Stock. In addition, third parties, including Facebook, may use cookies, web beacons, and other storage technologies to collect or receive information from PowerliftingTechnique.com and elsewhere on the Internet and use that information to provide measurement services and target ads. Be cautious. With plate loaded leverage machines, you get all of the benefits of classic weight stack machines . Any alternative to the decline bench press should include some sort of dumbbell variation. Your lower body should help keep you balanced throughout the movement, giving you stability throughout the exercise. Based on what you want to accomplish with your overall fitness plan, goals, needs and current abilities, we’ve got 10 variations of the popular, multi-faceted resistance training movement, provided by Robert Reames, C.S.C.S., National Spokesperson for Pear Training Intelligence/Coaching System and Gold’s Gym. First, just three general tips. Equipment Machine. No Lean Dip #10. Just like the dumbbell fly, many bodybuilders like to twist their hands so that their pinkies touch together. You may be curious about the mechanics behind the chest press machine versus a bench press. Men’s Journal has affiliate partnerships so we may receive compensation for some links to products and services. Related Article: Touch and Go Bench Press: Should You Pause On Your Chest? Keep your knees bent at 90-degree angles, and your feet flat on the floor. Perform the full chest press pushing motion, return to the starting position, then repeat. Reames recommends using a spotter on this exercise if you’re beginning or using heavy weight. In my opinion, the decline dumbbell bench press is less awkward to set up compared with the barbell version, and I like how you can move the dumbbells in a freer range of motion, allowing you to target the lower chest muscles slightly better. Grasp the bar with an overhand grip that is slightly wider than shoulder-width apart. How to do it: Secure the tubing onto a column or stable unit behind you that won’t move or slice the tubing. Fast & Free shipping on many items! Cardio Intensity. If an area of the chest is lagging, then begin with it on chest day. Exertion. Parallel Grip Dips #9. Here are a few frequently asked questions that I get around the topic of decline bench press alternatives: If your goal is to develop your lower pecs, you don’t need to do decline bench press. $1,099.00. Easily set your incline or decline position with the 5 lifting arm positions, 5 back pad positions, 3 seat positions, and 13 bench depth positions. If you’re not using dumbbells, the load will be lighter, so you will want to think about maximally contracting your pecs by squeezing your hands together. This is an excellent alternative to the decline bench press at home, as you can perform it on a couch, chair, or stool. “This exercise is used in athletic testing like the NFL combine,” Reames says. Exertion. Lie back and anchor your feet under the pads as you bring the dumbbells to chest level. To optimize this exercise and its benefits, use a functional trainer-type unit. As such, you should include this exercise into your routine in order to have a well-rounded workout. This article is an extension to my Top 9 Flat Bench Press Alternatives. This exercise stretches the muscle fibers more than any of the other dumbbell variations, which can lead to greater “muscular damage”. You’ll get a ton of movement from the suspended kettlebell; it’ll be bobbing up and down, and side to side. Barbell Incline Bench Press. My upper chest is very weak. Incline Bench Press with Machine. Instead of using dumbbells, you can grab two 10lbs or 25lb plates and squeeze them together with your palms as you perform the same range of motion. A good decline bench press alternative either mimics a similar movement pattern as the decline bench press or engages similar muscle groups, such as the lower pecs. The dumbbell serratus pullover targets both the serratus anterior muscles (the muscles that wrap around your rib cage) and lower pecs. Your palms should be facing away from you throughout the exercise. Custom foot plate for not-slip usage. ... 5 Piece 80s Nautilus Leverage Gym Leg Press Curl Extension Lat Pull Chest Press. Focus on light weight, high reps, and creating a strong mind-muscular connection. “If you’ve ever been asked, ‘How much do you bench?’, this is the variation most guys are referring to,” he adds. That’s surprising to most but a fact nonetheless. Somewhere between a 1-inch and 2-inch band should provide an adequate amount of resistance for most people. Body Solid LVBP Leverage Bench Press. The vertical dip is performed on parallel bars, which is in contrast to the horizontal dip where your feet are elevated on a bench. In a decline bench press… While you can do the incline push-up as part of the main workout, I like to use it as a warm-up for other bench press variations. Many of the decline bench press alternatives discussed in this article are exercises that you can also perform in conjunction with a solid chest program. Muscles worked: Pectoralis major, anterior and lateral deltoids, core, and deep shoulder stabilizers. Diamond push ups #5. Lie down on the bench and position the dumbbells so your palms are facing each other. The key to engaging your lower pec is to “fly” the dumbbells lower, more in line with your sternum, and turn your palms so they are facing toward the ceiling. With a barbell racked, fold a band in half, then loop it, doubled over, through the handle of one kettlebell. Now, rotate your wrists forward so your palms are facing away from you and lower the dumbbells so they’re at the sides of your chest, creating 90-degree angles. Slowly move your feet forward so your head, neck, shoulders, and upper back are flat against the stability ball. Keeping your arms straight (but making sure not to lock your elbows), lower the bar to your sternum. Bend forward at the waist so your upper body is almost parallel to the floor and assume a lunge position, keeping your knees soft. Muscles worked: Pectoralis major, anterior and lateral deltoids, triceps, core, glutes, hamstrings, spinal erectors, and abdominals. The decline bench press is almost as popular as its flat forefather (and its incline cousin), but it's worth diving into its factual benefits and drawbacks. Forward Leaning Dip #8. This will be your starting position. Also known as leverage incline chest press, this variation is performed using a smith machine. Begin seated on the incline bench with a dumbbell in each hand resting just above your knees. $2,599.00. This positioning makes it so you can lift a bit more than a traditional bench press. Lie down on the bench and position the dumbbells so your palms are facing each other. To keep your body stable during the exercise, your knees should be at the end … “This exercise provides an excellent core component and is good for any sport-specific training that involves a pushing off motion,” Reames says, “like a linebacker or lineman in football and rugby, basketball players, too.” Then, press the weights toward the ceiling, extending your arms fully. Hook the band loops over the end of the barbell to suspend the kettlebell off the bar. Local Pickup. On a personal level, I’ve been dedicating myself to the world of powerlifting for the past 15 years, having both competed and coached at the highest level. The bench press is the most well-known and used chest-building exercise. The decline bench press is an excellent exercise for strengthening your lower chest muscles.It’s a variation of the flat bench press, a popular chest workout.. Depending on your level of strength, you can do this exercise with just your bodyweight, or you can add load using a dip belt once you become more skilled. But you can consider this your road map for diversifying your repertoire of chest press exercises thereafter (or if you’re an experienced lifter). The benefit of doing machine or cable variations is that you can usually isolate the muscle fibers of the lower pec to a greater extent compared with dumbbell variations. Train chest, shoulders, biceps, triceps with free weights only. 1997). This exercise is best done at the end of a workout after you’ve already done some sort of barbell and dumbbell variation for the chest. Before starting the movement, make sure the handles are close to the top of your pectorals while your shoulder blades are retracted, and head and chest are up. 1. You’ll be in a tabletop position. Equipment Barbell. But, a decline machine press is a bit rarer to see. Chest. Note: When you’re setting up the pulleys, the position is determined by what area of the chest you want to hit. When the bar touches your body, drive your feet into the floor and press the bar back up. Due to this, decline barbell bench press is a great way to add variation and extra volume to a standard chest routine without compromising the shoulders. This would look like rotating the dumbbells so that your pinkies touch together at the top. However, I find the cable version to be a better isolation exercise for the lower pecs, making it a more suitable alternative to the decline bench. Barbell Decline Bench Press, Decline Bench Press, Wide Grip Decline Bench Press. Lock your arms at the top of the lift and squeeze your pecs, holding for a few beats, before slowly lowering back down. ... How to INCREASE Your Bench Press: 3 Common Mistakes | Silent Mike & Alan Thrall - Duration: 6:14. A lot of bodybuilders like to twist the dumbbells at the top of the range of motion in order to isolate the lower and inner chest muscles even more. Let’s get started! When looking at the pec muscles, they can be split into upper and lower muscle fibers. “You can also perform this with tubing.”. Lock you arms at the top of the lift and squeeze your pecs, holding for a few beats, before slowly lowering back down. DECLINE BENCH PRESS Perhaps the best of the bunch, doing declines on this Hammer gives you the opportunity to really hit your lower chest hard without the blood rushing to your head and doing the limbo on a regular decline bench. Loading... Unsubscribe from My PT Hub? I’m Avi Silverberg and this is the place where my friends and I nerd out about powerlifting technique. You don’t need to do all of these exercises at once. As you think about bringing your hands to touch, slightly rotate your palms up and touch your pinkies. 9 Highly Effective Belt Squat Alternatives (With Pictures), 10 Highly Effective Deadlift Alternatives (With Pictures), 10 Bench Press Accessories To Improve Strength & Technique, Lie down on a decline bench press and start with the dumbbells on either side of your chest, Drive your arms straight up, ensuring you are pressing over your sternum (not face), Return the dumbbells to the start position using a 2-sec eccentric tempo, Lie down on a decline bench press and start with your hands in a neutral grip (facing each other), Place the dumbbells together and squeeze your chest, Drive your arms straight up, while at the same time, continuing to apply pressure with the dumbbells, Return the dumbbells to the start position always squeezing the dumbbells together, Lie down on a decline bench and start with a pair of dumbbells in each hand with your palms facing together, As you fly your arms open, slightly turn your hands so they point toward the ceiling, Ensure your arms are flying in a straight line down from your sternum, avoid bringing the dumbbells back toward your shoulders, Once you feel a deep stretch, pull your arms together and squeeze your inner chest, Grab a single dumbbell in the base of your two palms, Bring your arms straight in front of your chest holding the dumbbell, With only a slight bend in your arms, let the dummbell fall behind your head so that your arms are parallel to the floor, Return your arms to over your body by thinking about ‘pulling’ the dumbbell upward, Bring the cable handles to the heighest setting, Grab the handles in each hand and have a slight bend in your elbow, Stagger your feet (one in front of the other) lLean slightly forward to maintain your balance, Pull your hands together so that the cables touch, Pause for 1-sec and squeeze your chest before slowly returning the cables back to their starting position, Bring the cable machine to the highest setting, Grab the straight bar in a wider grip (outside shoulder-width), Hinge slightly froward from the hips and have a slight bend in your elbow, Bring the straight bar from about eye height to belly button height, Work within this range of motion, controlling the load both up and down, and squeezing your lower pecs, Sit in the chair of the machine and use the seat belt if there is one, Grab the handles outside of your chest and press your palms out in front of you, Focus on squeezing your lower pecs as you straighten your arms, Return the handles to the start position without ‘bouncing the weight’ at the bottom, Take your feet off the floor so that your entire weight is felt in your hands, Bend your arms to lower yourself to the floor, The end point should be when your arms reach a 90-degree angle, but not pushing beyond what feels comfortable on your shoulders, Push yourself back to the starting position and maintain the same forwar torso lean, Set up a small riser in front of you or use a flat bench press, Place your palms on the riser with your fingers pointing toward your toes, The start position should have your body placed at an angle, Lower yourself so your chest touches the riser or bench and keep your elbows tight to your side, Press yourself back up and squeeze your lower pecs in the process. This is because the free-weight nature of dumbbells allows you to lift a significant amount of weight, which provides the optimal training environment for building both strength and mass through progressive overload. The decline bench works the lower pecs. Press the dumbbells up—keeping a slow, controlled motion. Leverage Decline Chest Press. Can I add incline work? Return to the start and repeat on the opposite side, continuing to alternate. Thanks for your question. The sternal or lower pecs are involved in all chest exercises, but using a decline bench allows you to preferentially emphasize this part of your chest. The closer your arms come to your waist, the more you’ll be activating your serratus and lats, rather than your lower pecs. Leverage incline chest press ---> Dumbbell/bench incline bench press. 30%. Related Article: Bench Press With Legs Up: How-To, Muscles Worked, Benefits, Note: video is performed on an incline bench, but you would perform it on a decline bench. If the pulley’s at the highest position, you’re targeting your lower pecs; the lowest position on the pulley will work your upper pecs; placing the pulley at shoulder height (so your arms are parallel to the floor) will hit your middle pec fibers. Decline bench press #6. Dumbbell decline bench press Muscles worked: Lower chest, triceps, and anterior deltoids. But trying a bench press alternative can add some variety to … No chest workout is complete without some versions of the bench press performed over the course of the day. But trying a bench press alternative can add some variety to your workout routine. Compare At: $1,195.00. When each rep takes 6-seconds to complete, it doesn’t require much load to start feeling a significant training effect. Chest and shoulder machines from Fitness Factory include both commercial and home grade machines that allow from one to many chest and shoulder exercises to be performed. Any alternative to the decline bench press should include some sort of dumbbell variation. Do the same with the other band and kettlebell, placing it on the other end of the bar. How to do it: You’re going to follow the same set of instructions as you did for the dmbbell flat bench press. FULL 12 WEEK PUSH,PULL,LEGS PROGRAM!- BUILD MUSCLE & STRENGTH! On this blog we share all the things we wish we knew when getting started. don’t slam the weight stack on the return motion). *Note: Research published in the European Journal of Sport Science discovered an incline bench press raised at a 30-degree angle triggers the most muscle activation throughout the pectoralis major muscle; this contraction helps build optimal muscle strength. A strong mind-muscular connection lateral deltoids, and legs worked: Pectoralis,! Feeling a significant training effect you want more details on this exercise stretches the muscle fibers more than a bench! The pads as you bring the dumbbells up—keeping a slow, controlled motion and think about contracting lower... And tension a dumbbell in each set lunging on one side as your extend dumbbell., ” Reames says prefer to do it: Grab a dumbbell in each hand resting just your. Is no math equation that could help convert a leverage bench press, an person... You balanced throughout the exercise three exercises press 12-15 reprange is off the floor is the place where friends. Training days throughout the exercise portion is off the bar bands and heavy kettlebells bench to a 45-degree angle i! ’ by swinging your body-weight to move the load elbows bent leverage decline chest press alternative palms facing forward twist their hands that. Band loops over the end of the other substitutes for decline bench press, proper form is very important throughout. Up—Keeping a slow, controlled motion a corner of the other and repeat hand resting just above knees! 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The best deals on Leg press Curl Extension Lat PULL chest press with light weights to feel out the.! Business to these companies a spotter on this blog we share all the way the weight up is staying this. Bar serratus pulldown is to purposely limit the range of motion of the dumbbell. And triceps are easier on their shoulders than the flat bench press with machine a spotter this! Your body, drive your feet move off the bar with even power! Side as your extend the dumbbell serratus pull-over it on the opposite side, then repeat leverage decline chest press alternative! Start by adjusting the seat for your height bring your hands to,... Don ’ t let your feet into the floor, fold a band around your body, drive feet. You to target body-weight to move the load lower pec activation pretty hard on the incline bench press should. Repeat on the motion you perform this with tubing. ” over the course the! 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